Greenhouse



Dec. 7 192%.

M. K. LEWERNZ GREENHOUSE Filed NOV. 18, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet Hmmm- I l x INVENTOR ma W m mm@ MB .m m M Patented ee. 7, 1926 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. l

MARTIN KARL LEWERENZ, OF ST. CATHARINES, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO LORD @c BURNI-IAM 'COMPANYy OF RVINGTON, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

' GREENHOUSE.

Application filed November This invention relates to improvements in structural members and ttings, but is especially directed to a combined cave-plate and condensation gutter adapted for use in connection with greenhouses and similar structures.

Heretofore in the construction of horticultural buildings, such as greenhouses, it has been the practice to connect the vertical posts to the rafters by means of gusset plates and at the junction of the side wall and the roof introduce an eave-plate adapted to support the edge of said roof. Such an eaveplate is shown in patent to Burnham, No. 583,247, of May 15, 1897, in which the eaveplate is in the form of anangle-iron, one leg of which extends into the interior of the building so as to receive the heat thereof and to act as a conductor of such heat to the part outside the building and prevent the formation of ice and the accumulation of snow. Further, in order to remove the condensation which forms on the inside of the roof, a separate element in the form of a-trough or gutteil was positioned adjacent to the junction of said side wall and roof and supported by a bracket on either` side of said gusset plate. One form of such gutter-'was a U-bar eX- tending under the edge of the inwardly extending angle-iron above referred to. v

The present invention comprehends the provision of a combined eave-,plate and condensation gutter7 integrally formed, and adapted to perform the'usual functions of the eave-plate of the Burnham type with a U-bar gutter, said unitary structure possessing greater strength and rigidity than the separate elementsl as combined in the presentday structures. y

Heretofore it also has been the practice to support the roof bars, or Sash bars, as they are sometimes called, in a clasp, the clasp being secured to the cave-plate by bolts passing through the flange of the clasp and the sashbars held in place in a pocket formed for it in the clasp by one or more screws. It is a well known fact that when two members are brought into closerelation to each other, there is atendency to oxidize, whether the material be of metal or wood. It is a further object of this invention toV eliminate these clasps and to provide means for spaclS, 1925. Serial No. 69,733.

ing the ends of the roof bars away from the i Vside of the gutter, thereby eliminating the drawings forming a part of this specification,

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view through a portion of the building as viewed from the section line 1-l ofrFig. 2; y

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional View taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure l; c

Figure 3 illustrates the connection between my improved eave-plate and gutter and the roof-bars lying betweenrafters as viewed from the section line 3 3 of Figure el;

Figure at is a sectional view taken on the line 4 4: of Figure 3;

Figure is a View like unto Figure 1, but illustrating a modification; and i Figure 6 is a sectionaldetail view on the line A6 6 of Figure 1.

Referring .now in detail to Figure 1 of the drawings, numeral l() denotes one of a series of vertically disposed posts, which carry a series of rafters V11 through the mei dium of gusset plates 12, As observed in Figure 2, I employ two splice: or gusset plates 12, between which said posts Vand rafters are secured by means of rivets or bolts as indicated at 13. y

The upper portion ofv said gussets 1-2 is provided with adownwardly extending portion 12L for the purpose of supporting a truss lhthus adding to the rigidity of the structure.

Considering the gusset plate 12 as'shown in Figure 1, it will be noted-that' the formation thereof is'of substantially oblique angular configuration and presents relatively a skeleton structure as compared to the pan 2S is provided With present-day triangular plates, Which obviously in a greenhouse is of utmost importance, since the shud(iw-casting by my improved gusset is greatly reduced when compared -vith the triangular plates nouj in use. `iuclra construction permits the product-ion of the lighteststructures possible consistent with a staunch, enduring greenhouse. rl-Said gusset plate 12 further provided with a flange 15 extending at right angles to the vertical plane of said plate sul'istantially U-shaped together with a slot forn'red Aby projecting lip or keeper 151 and co-operates with a similar flange formed'on the com ianion plate. for supporting my combined eaveplate and gutter, as will presently appear.

is viewed in Figure 1, the preferred form of my Y combined cave-plate and gutter 16 compriseS a rolled, substantially U-shaped, portiony 17, one end thereof being bent inwardly, as indicated at 18, serving as a support for the roof-bars intermediate the rafters. The other leg portion is bent outwardly and at right angles to assume a position substantially in the same plane as the plane of the roof, as. indicated at 20. The upper face of the portion 2.0 is provided with a longitudinal riby 21, which abuts the lower edge of the glazing 22 and arrests the downward movement of glass thereof. The roof-bars V23I are bkevell'ed at their ends as at 24, andare secured to the inward extension 18 of the member 16 by means ofY bolts or screws 19., which pass through said extension 18 as clearly shown in the drawings, except that in Figure 1 Ythe roof-bar 23 coinciding with the rafter ll iS.. longitudinally grooved on its underside es at 23to receive a corresponding longitudinal rib on .the upper face of the rafter, I n order to secure the bar to its placeL on said rib a metal clip 23a is provided, shaped as shown in Figure 6, to embrace the bar 2.3, Said clip is provided with suitable apertures to pass the screws 23h for uniting said clip to the roof-barr 23. The raiter 11 is provided with a suitable transverse opening 11 to permit the insertion therein. of the elip`23t. The latter is then iXedly secured to the rafter-bar by means o1' the screws 23", thuis making arigid connection of the rafterbarto the rafter. It Will be understood that roof-bars of; various, depths are used indif- 'erent greenhouses, and in order to keep the same in their proper plane, more especially those between rafters, I have provided the filler piece or adapter 34; for the shalloiver roof-bars, these adapters being secured to thev support 18 also by the bolts 19.

vThe gutter' portion 17 is provided with apertures 27 at suitable intervals, which permit of the escape of the condensation to the drip-pan 28 and thence to the lead-off 29.

.As clearly shown inFigure 2, said dripa lateral extension 30, threadedly receiving the set-screw 3l for securing said pan to the gusset-plate 12, in co-operation with the lug 30a. Said pan 28 is further provided with a downwardly disposed lug '32, having a V-shaped groove to receive the upper end of said lead-oli' 29. The set-screw 33 may also be employed if desired.v

The abutting ends of the sections of the combined cave-plate and gutter are secured to each other by splice plates' and-bolts 37.

In the modification shown in Figure 5, the posts 238 are Vconnected to the rafters 39 by means of gussetplates tO. In this instance, the combined cave-plate and gutter is secured to brackets el, having flanges a1 corresponding to lianges 15 of Figure 1, by means of bolts Ll2. En this modification the gutter portion is formed slightly different from my preferred form, there being a downwardly extending right-angled portion et?) connected tothe cave-plate propeiand an upwardly extending right-angled portion connected to the last named portion, forming` a channel therebetween and providing a seat for the roof-bars 23. A 'i It will be noted that the improvements heretofore described not only simplify the construction but add to the strength of the structure, atthe same time providing means for conducting the heat from the interior of the building to ythe part outside the building at the junction of the side Wall; and roof to prevent the formation of ice and the accumulation of snow', as in the Burnham Patent No. 583,247, as Well as to provide means for spacing the ends the roof-bars aivay from the inside Wall-of the cave-plate.

I claim:

1'. 'The combination vWith the framing of a structure, of gusset plates connecting the vertical posts and rafters ofsaidframing, flanges substantially lll-shaped in cross-sec'- tion and disposed at right angles tothe plane of said plates, and a'combinedeave-plate and gutter having the folded portion engaged by said U-shaped flanges and'having an inwardly extending raised portion secured to the rooting members of said framing.

2. The combination With the framing of a structure, of gusset platescOnneCtmg the vertical post-s and rafters of said' framing, flanges substantially VU-,shaped lin; cross-section and disposed 'at right angles to the plane of saidplates and a combined eaveplate and gut-ter having its folded portion arranged interiorly of Vsaid structure and fixed-ly secured to said flanges and having a raised inward-ly extending upper portion secured to the roofing members of said structure and the eave-plate portion disposed in the same plane as the plane of the roof.

3. The combination Withthe framing o' a Vstru.cture,`of gusset plates connecting `the vertical posts and rafters of said framing, .flanges ou said plates, and a combined eaveplate and gutter having its folded portion supported by said flanges and having a raised inward extension secured to the roofing members of said structure.

4. The combination with the framing of al 5. A combined cave-plate and gutter having two supports for the edge of the roof, one of said supports being in substantially the same plane as that of the glass and serving as a support for the same and for the upper sides of the roof-bars, and the other support being` in aplane parallel to that of the first named support, elevated above the gutter portion, and adapted to engage the underside of the roof-bars.`

6. A. combined eave-plate and gutter having two supports for the edge of the roof, said roof including a series of roof-bars spaced away from the gutter portion, one of said supports being in substantially the same plane as that of the glass and serving as a support for the same and for the upper sides of the roof-bars, and the other support. being in a plane parallel to that ofthe first named support and adapted to engage the under-side of said roof-bars, and means for securing said roof-bars tothe last named support.

7. A combined cave-plate and gutter having two supports for the edge of the roof, said roof including series of roof-bars spaced away from the gutter portion, one of said supports being in substantially the same plane as that-of the glass and serving as a support for the same and for the upper sides of the roof-bars, and the other-support being in a plane parallel to that of the irst nained support and adapted to engage the under-side of said roof-bars, and means for filling the space between the roof-bar and the second support.

8. A combined cave-plate and gutter having two supports for the edge of the roof, said roof including a series of roof-bars bevelled inwardly at their outer ends, one

of said supports being in substantially the saine plane as that of the glass and serving as a support for the saine and for the upper sides of the roof-bars, and theother support being in a plane parallel to that of the first named support and adapted to engage the under-side of said roof-bars.

9. The combination with the framing of a structure, including vertical posts, of a cornbined cave-plate and gutter having its folded portion arranged interiorly of said structure, and having a raised inwardly extending upper portion secured to the roofing members of said structure, and supporting means connecting the said cave-plate and gutter to the vertical posts of the framing.

M. K. LEWERENZ. 

